Pneumatic elevator



A. G. RONNING ET AL.

PNEUMATIC ELEVATOR Original Filed Aug. 2, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lyf/Woes Ana/fed fawn/'ny pr l5 1924;a

X A. G. RONNINGY ET AL.

PNEUMATI C ELEVATOR April 15, 1924. 1,490,404

A. G. RONNING ET AL.

PNEUMAT I C ELEVATOR Original Filed Aug. '2, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5Patented Apr. 15, .1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREAN G. RON NING AND ADOLPH RUNNING, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PNEUMATIC ELEvAToR.

Application filed August 2, 1920, Serial No. 400,623. Renewed November2, 1923.

To all Lo/1.0m t may concern.'

Be it known that we, ANDHEAN G. RON- NING and AnoLrH RoNNiNo, citizensof the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepinand State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pneumatic Elevators; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such `as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

Our present invention relates to pneumatic elevators and is especiallyadapted for use in unloading materials, such as ensilage, grain, and thelike, from vehicles and elevating and depositing the same in suitableplaces. such as a silo or bins.

The pneumatic elevator comprises a fan, a feed mechanism therefor and asource of power, such as a motor, which latter is preferably mountedwith the other parts on and carried by a trough which supports the otherparts of the elevator. Means is p-rovided whereby. from the power motor,the discharge device of an independent vehicle may be coupled up anddriven for delivery to the feed mechanism of the elevator.

The fee-d device for deliveringthe material to the fan casing ispreferably an endless belt mounted on the frame that is pivoted formovements to and from Yoperative approximately horizontal position. Thisframe is preferably subject to the upward force of lan automatic liftingdevice, the arrangement thereof being such that when the conveyorsupporting frame is turned down. it will overcome a yielding force ofthe lifting device and will be gravity-held in its operative position,but when turned upward into an inoperative position, will be held inthat position by said lifting device. The invention also involvesvarious other novel but important features, as will hereinafter ap ear.

In the accompaying drawings which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referringto the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the improved pneumatic elevator.;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken centrally through theelevator and its feeding mechanism, some parts shown in full; y

Fig. 3 is a detail of the automatic lifting device taken approximatelyon the line 3--3 of Fig.` 2;

Fig. f3 is a fragmentary detail illustrating a modified form of theautomatic lifting device shown in Fig. 3;

Fie. 4 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 4 4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5'-5l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail with some parts in full and some parts sectioned onthe line 6 6 of Fig. 4.-.

As above indicated, the various parts of the elevator are carried on itsown truck. Preferably, this truck comprises rear wheels 7 and a rearaxle 8, front wheels 9 and front axle 10 and a connecting framework.

As a novel feature, this connecting frame-- Work is in the form of atwo-part casting 11 which forms also the fan casing 12. This two-partcasting is divided on the central parting line indicated at 11a Iand thesections are connected by bolts or rivets passed through the abuttingflanges thereof. The fan casing 12, at one side. to Wit, as shown in thedrawings, at its right hand side, has a large axial intake eye 13 and anextended receiving hopper l14 adjacent thereto. This fan casing on itsside opposite to its eyes 13,' is formed with an outstanding axial gearcasing 15. A short driving shaft 16 extends through thehousing 15 and isjournaled in suitable bearings therein. lVorking within thefan casing 12and secured to the end of the shaft 16 is a blade-equipped fan head 17.The fan casing is provided with a tangential upwardly extended.discharge spout 18 that is connected to an upwardly extended deliverypipe 19.

A driving element in the form of a pulley 20 is secured to the outer endof the shaft 16 and a- Worm 21 is secured to said shaft within thehousing 15.

At its rear, the two-part casting 11 is provided with a divided sleeve22 which, by bolts, is rigidly but detachably clamped onto the centralportion of the rear axle 8. At its front end, the said dividedcastdelivers to the fan, there is provided al trough-like conveyor frame28 which, at its inner end, is pivotally connected to the side anges ofthe hopper 14, either by or around a shaft 29 that is journaled in theside flanges of said hopper and is extended at its rear end and providedwith a normally loose sprocket 30 adapted to be coupled thereto, atwill, by a sliding clutch 31 (see particularly Fi 4). Between the s idesof the hopper 28, t e shaft 29 1s provided with sprockets 32 over whichruns an endless conveyor belt made up of sprocket chains 33 andconnecting cross slats 34. This feed belt runs over and under a deck 35which forms a bottom to the trough-like frame 24. The chains 33 also runover idle sprockets 36 on a shaft 37 that is mounted in adjustablebearings 38 supported from the outer or free end of the frame 28. Byreference to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the frame 28, at its outerend, has a lug 39 which limits the downward movements and su ports thesame in an operative position.

he worm 21 above noted, meshes with a worm gear 40 located within thehousing l5 and carried by a shaft 41 (see Figs. 2 and 4). This shaft 41,at its rearwardly extended end, is journaled in a bearing 42 on the fancase and rearward of said bear- -ing is provided with a sprocket 43 overwhich, and the loose sprocket 30 of shaft 29, runs a sprocket chain 44.At its front end, the vshaft 41 is extended into a transmission casing45 that is secured to the fan case. This shaft is parallel to anothershaft 46 journaled in the bearing '42 and in the case 45. The shaft 46is adapted to be driven at variable speed from the shaft 41 through anysuitable variable speed mechanism, but which, as shown, comprises gears47, 48 and 49 slidably carried by said shaft 41 and adapted to'beengaged, progressively, with gears 47, 48a and 49a on the shaft 46. Atits front and rear ends, the shaft 46 is connected by miter gears 50 toshafts 51 journaled, one on the front and the other on the rear portionof the fan casing.

Either one of said shafts 51 is adapted `to be connected, at will, to atransmission shaft for driving the discharge device of a carryingvehicle, such, for example, as the rotary discharging device of a manurespreader.

VA manure spreader can. be used to advantage for carrying anddischarging ensilage, or the like. In Fig. 4, the body of a vehicle,such as a manure spreader, is indicated by the numeral 52 and its rotarydischarge device is indicated by the numeral 53.

In Fig. 2, the numeral 54 indicates a telescopically extensible shaftwhich, by knuckle joints 55, is adapted to be readily attached to theshaft of the discharge device 53 and to the projecting end of either oneof the two above noted shafts 51. `It

will thus be `seen that the manure spreader is one form of wheel vehicleor truck that is independent of the truck which carries the elevator.

The motor for driving the mechanismherein described is preferably amulti-cylinder internal combustion engine indicated as an entirety bythe numeral 55. The base of this engine is rigidly secured on theforwardly projected portion of the main frame casting 11, and the crankshaft of said engine 1s equipped with, a pulley 56, over which, and thepulley 20 of the driving shaft 16, runs a driving belt 57. This motortherefore affords power for driving all of the running parts of thepneumatic elevator and the delivery or discharge device of theindependent'vehicle herein illustrated as a. manure spreader.

When the clutch 31 connects sprocket 30 to the shaft 29, the endlessfeed belt which delivers the material to the fan, will be driven, andthis clutch is normally enga ed with the said sprocket by a spring 58see Fig. 4). The hub of clutch 31 has a groove that is engaged by anordinary shipper fork 59 on the thrust rod 60 mounted in suitablebearings on the fan casing provided with a lever 61 having a beveledcam-acting h-ub 62 that is engageable with a fixed cam hub 63. Bydownward movement of the lever 61, clutch 31 can be disengaged fromsprocket 30, so as to thereby throw the feed belt out of action. Thedischarge device of the independent vehicle can be thrown out of actionat will by shifting of the gears of the above described variablespeedtransmissiondevice into neutral or disengaged position.

The feed belt supporting frame 28 is provided with a hopper-likeextension 64 that is movable from one side to the other thereof and isadapted to be exchanged with a detachable board 65 on the opposite sideof the said frame (see Figs. 4 and 5).

The automatic lifting device, briefly re' ferred to above may takedifferent forms. The form illustrated in the main view in Fig. 3,comprises a lifting lever 66 (see particularly Figs. 2 and 3) pivoted atone end on a short spindle 67 rigidly secured to a small post 68 on topof the fan case. The free end of this lever is connected to the intermediate portions of the side boards of the frame 28 by a suitableconnection shown as comprising a chain 69 and a bail 70. The numeral 71indicates a pair of flat spiral springs anchored at their inner ends tothe fixed shaft 67, or other lixed part, and 'attached at their outerends to studs-72 projected from the sides of the lever 66. As alreadyindicated, the power of these springs 71 is such that when the frame 28is in its operative horizontal position with its -center of gravityprojected far from the pivot 32, the leverage and weight of the saidframe will overcome the said springs and permit said frame and partsthereon to be gravit -held in their lowered or operative positlon, butwhen, said frame is raised, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, thecenter of gravity much more nearly on the vertical line with the saidpivot 32, the force from said springs 71 will then be in position tohold the said frame in such raised inoperative position.

In the modified forms of the automatic lifting device shown in Fig. 3a,the lever 66, at its pivoted end, has a sheave segment 77 connected to ashort cable 74: which, in turn is attached to upper end of a rod 75.This rod 75 extends freely Athrough a bracket 76 rigidly secured on thefan casing and provided with a threaded lower end equipped with a nut 77between which and the bracket 76, is a coiled compression spring 78.This spring 7 8`will exert a force which will perform the same functionas the spring 71 above described.

`What we claim is:

1. The combination with a vehicle having a discharge device, of avehicle arrangeed at an ang e thereto comprising an elevator having afeed mechanism receiving from said discharge device, and a motor havingconnections )for driving. said elevator, its feed mechanism and saiddischarge device, the said driving connections and said feed mechanismincluding separable coupling devices located on each side of said feedmechanism.

2. A vehicle having mounted thereon a fan and fan casing with their axesextend ing transversely of said vehicle, a delivery spout connected tosaid fan casing, a motor on said vehicle, a fan shaft, a pulley thereon4adapted to be driven from said motor. a transverse shaft adjacent eachend of the vehicle, a driving shaft geared to each of said shafts andextending longitudinally of the vehicle, a second longitudinal shaft fordriving said first mentioned longitudinal shaft, a series of changespeed gears for variously connecting said longitudinal shafts fordifferent speeds, a feeding mechanism delivering to said fan, a shafteX- tending longitudinally of the vehicle for driving said feedingmechanism, a clutch controlled driving'connection between said lattershaft and said second mentioned longitudinal shaft. said transverseshafts being adapted to be connected to an elevating mechanism arrangedto deliver to said feeding mechanism.

3. The combination with a vehicle and a fan and fan casing mountedthereon, said fan casing having a discharge spout, of a motor drivenelement on said vehicle having connections for driving said fan, aconveyor extended outward from said fan casing and arranged to deliverinto the same, a second vehicle having an unloading device arranged todeliver rearwardly to the projected receiving portion of said conveyor,and means for driving said conveyor and the unloading mechanism of saidsecond vehicle from the motor-driven element on the first noted vehicle.s

a. The combination with a vehicle and a fan and fan casing mountedthereon, said fan casing having a discharge spout, of a motor on saidvehicle having connections for driving said fan, a conveyor extendedoutward from said fan casing and arranged to deliver into the same, asecond vehicle having an unloading dlevice arranged t0 deliverrearwardly to the projected ieceiving portion of said conveyor, andmeans for driving said conveyor and the unloading mechanism of saidsecond vehicle from the motor on the first noted vehicle, the drivingconnection to said unloading device being separable so that said secondvehicle may be operatively disconnected at will.

5. The combination with a vehicle and a fan and fan casing mountedthereon, said fan casing having a discharge spout, of a motor on saidvehicle having connections for driving said fan, a conveyor extendedoutward from said fan casing and arranged to deliver into the same, asecond vehicle having an unloading device arranged to deliver rearwardlyto the projected recei'v-` ing portion of said conveyor, and means fordriving said conveyor and the unloading mechanismv of said secondvehicle from the motor on the first noted vehicle, the drivingconnection to said unloading device being flexible and separable so thatsaid second vehicle may be operatively connected without accuratesetting and may at will be disconnected.

6. The combination with a vehicle and a fan and fan casing mountedthereon, said fan casing having a' discharge spout, of

a motor on said vehicle having connections for driving said fan, aconveyor extended outward from said fan casing and arranged to deliverinto the same, a second vehicle having an unloading device arranged todeliver rearwardly to the projected receiving portion of said conveyor,and means for driving said conveyor and the unloading mechanism of saidsecond vehicle from the motorv on the first noted vehicle at differentrelative speeds.

7. The combination with a wheel-equipped vehicle having thereon a fanand fan casing, the latter being set longitudinally of said vehicle and.provided with a discharge spout and with an intake opening facing oneside of said vehicle, of a motor on said vehicle having connections fordriving said fan, a conveyor connected to said vehicle and extendedlaterally therefrom and arranged to deliver into the intake opening ofsaid fan casing, a second Wheelequipped vehicle having an unloadingdevice arranged to discharge at its rear end and to 'deliver to theextended receiving portion of said conveyor when the second vehicle isset parallel to the first but laterally offset therefrom, andconnections for driving said conveyor and the unloading device of thesecond vehicle from the motor on the first noted vehicle.

8. The structure definedin claim, 7 in 'which the dri-ving connection tosaid unl5 loadingdevice is flexible.

9. The structure defined in claimv 7 in which the driving connection tosaid' unloading device has separable elements whereby sai second vehiclemay lbe operatively disconnected at will.

10. The structure defined in claim 7 in which the drivin connections tosaid conveyor and unloa ing device include a variable speed transmissionwhereby said conveyor and unloading device may be driven at diffrentrelative speeds.

In testimony whereof We aflx our signatures.

ANDREAN G. RON NING. ADOIJPH RONNING.

